


Beyond the Line of Sight

by looking_glass22



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-08-06
Packaged: 2019-06-22 13:55:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15583449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/looking_glass22/pseuds/looking_glass22
Summary: This story is about Kylo and the Knights of Ren where each knight represents one of the Seven Deadly Sins. My knights were inspired by @morphinepudding and their all-female, multi-species KOR art.





	Beyond the Line of Sight

**Author's Note:**

> OMG, I’ve been part of this fandom for so long and I’ve FINALLY written a thing. I’ve been kicking this chapter around since April so I figured I better post it now or I’d never move on to the next part. 
> 
> Special thanks to @techie-support, @oldtrustylegs, and @anorlost for their support. Without them I never would have tried my hand at this.

It had been over a week since the humiliating disaster on Crait and Kylo Ren was once again pacing the length of his quarters. With the Supremacy reduced to largely uninhabitable chunks of floating detritus the newly titled Supreme Leader was forced to return to his spartan accommodation onboard the Finalizer. Kylo felt a disquiet in the force that had formed with the sudden absence of Snoke’s immense power. The anomaly continually pulsed just outside of his line of sight and besieged his mind in both sleep and wakefulness. So far, no amount of meditation or pacing had presented a solution and Kylo’s mind was slowly beginning to unravel one thread at a time. He knew what must be done. His knights must be called to aid him in this plight, but who knew where Snoke had most recently sent each of them. There had been a growing divide amongst his knights fueled by Snoke’s desire to see Kylo isolated and all the more desperate for his guidance. He could see now how that isolation had allowed him to be willingly led to the scavenger girl via Snoke’s force-link. She had abandoned him just as so many others, but no matter, his knights he could trust and would come to aid him in dispelling this anomaly.

Locating what remained of Snoke’s personal chambers upon the Supremacy took Kylo only a few minutes of focus but reaching it in person would be a more difficult endeavor. If Kylo was going to summon his knights, then he would need a conduit to channel his force energy and locate them. One such conduit was a Sith relic, formerly belonging to Darth Sidious, a large kyber crystal orb, that Snoke had him retrieve from Coruscant. The crystal, which Snoke had referred to as the Waystone of Korriban, was said to be a Sith tool of divination. If Kylo could find it among Snoke’s other treasures, he could use it to direct his power and seek out his knights’ force signatures.

Kylo’s command shuttle wove in and out of the debris field as smaller First Order shuttles and salvage ships went about their reclamation efforts. Snoke’s personal quarters, a collection of large, elaborately decorated rooms, were in one of the larger pieces of the ship. Kylo was able to pull his shuttle up alongside an undamaged airlock and access a surprisingly intact hallway. He navigated the drifting section of the ship ducking under hanging wires and crawling over massive chunks of durasteel that had collapsed from the floors above. Kylo had only been to Snoke’s chambers once, the night he slaughtered Luke’s Jedi padawans and come to Snoke shaking and covered in soot and sweat. Such opulence, while not unknown to him, was a vast departure from the austere environment of Luke’s school and he had welcomed the jarring incongruency. That night seems like a lifetime ago and now Kylo only wishes to claim the stone and be gone.

As he pushes forward Kylo notices that while most of the rooms had sustained considerable damage and were no longer accessible, Snoke’s vault appeared to have maintained its integrity. Perhaps due to the nature of the items it held. Using the Force to pry the vault door from its hinges Kylo steps into the preternatural darkness generated by the artifacts and seeks out the orb’s Force signature. It appears in his mind as an orange pulsing light and he finds it wrapped in a silken cloth nestled in an ornate box carved from the bone of what must have once been a very large animal. The orb itself is roughly a foot in diameter and while transparent is also clouded with an ever-moving internal presence. Replacing the box’s lid Kylo retreats with the orb to his shuttle. Once the Force anomaly has been dealt with Kylo will have Hux send a team to properly collect and catalog the remaining treasures.

Back in his quarters, Kylo begins the process of purifying himself before communing with the orb. When he had presented the stone to Snoke he was told that to truly access its powers of divination the Force user must not only be powerful, but their mind must be completely free from distraction otherwise the vision given by the orb would be corrupted and misleading. Kylo had always struggled to still his mind, both as a Jedi Padawan and as an apprentice to Snoke. The rage that always simmered just below the surface was one challenge that had to be overcome, while the constant noise produced by the minds of those around him on the massive warship was another. He was not certain if the Force anomaly would hinder this process, but he desperately hoped not. First, he filled a basin with water and began to wash away the sweat and grime that had accumulated as he made his way through the Supremacy. Kylo had always found it easier to still his mind after his body had been properly tended to.

Once clean he settled himself in the middle of the mat in his mediation room and opened the box containing the orb. He placed the orb, oddly warm with its own heat, in his lap and laid his bare hands on either side of it. To wade past his ever-present rage and the thousands of noisy minds within the Finalizer, Kylo pictured a cave, pitch black and silent. He envisioned floating so deep within the rock that the force signatures of the imaginary planet were reduced to the mildest hum, barely perceptible even to him. He noted that the anomaly was still present during his meditation, but so far it was not interfering. There in the darkness he pictured a continual drip of water falling rhythmically into a dark pool and in his mental solitude Kylo called out to the orb through the force not knowing what to expect. Back in his mediation room he felt the orb grow gradually warmer in his lap. He focused his thoughts on the first of his knights, Devcha, and his need for her to come to him. As the thought took shape a pin prick of light floated out from his chest. The light hovered for but a moment before disappearing with a soft puff. Kylo found this to be a rather benign effect for such a powerful object of the darkness.

Sitting in the cockpit of her gun ship in orbit around Bespin, the Zabrak, Devcha Ren picked at her nails with the tip of her knife. She was not a patient individual by any measure and waiting around to hear from her contact in Cloud City had long ago migrated from tedious to straight up grating. Waiting around for someone else to do the work was a waste of her skills, but Snoke had sent her to Bespin himself and Devcha knew better than to question it. Kylo could usually get away with talking back to Snoke, but even he wound up on the wrong end of a blast of Force lightning from time to time. To say that Devcha was surprised by the point of light that poofed into existence just in front of her face would be an understatement and she would never admit to the high-pitched sound that escaped her mouth in her surprise. The light bounced in place for an instant before gliding forward and into her chest. Devcha could feel its warmth immediately and with it a call to return to her master in his time of need.

Predani Ren delicately sipped at her Corellian Sunset as she gazed out over the crowd in the club. The drink was the same bright carmine as her skin which amused her greatly. Reaching out with the Force she steeped herself in the emotions of the revelers on the dance floor as well as those tucked away in the darker corners of the establishment. Her Force powers further amplified her inherent ability as a Zeltron of reading and indulging in the emotions of others. Of the many feelings currently cycling through her mind her undeniable favorite was passion and from her dim corner of the bar she was able to discern her target’s whereabouts with little effort. After all, she was the one who had persuaded the prostitute to seek him out for some complementary recreational activities in one the of club’s private rooms. Might as well let the poor bastard enjoy himself one last time before she plunged one of her daggers into his heart. As she went to take another sip she noticed a point of light emerging from the haze of the bar. The light zipped between the undulating bodies of the dancers and through the breastplate of her armor. Apparently, her target’s recreation time would have to be cut short. She didn’t have time to dally, Predani and her sisters were being summoned.

“Achoo,” Halimar sneezed loudly as a cloud of dust erupted from the ancient text she had just opened. “Would you be quiet? I’m trying to concentrate here.” responded Dregia over the top of the codex she was inspecting. “Sorry to have interrupted you oh great scholar,” said the Togruta testily. “You’ve been looking through that book for hours. Can we go find something to eat? Those ancient Sith aren’t getting any deader.” Dregia sets the codex in her lap and points a finger towards Halimar. “I don’t know why I had to bring you with me. The Supreme Leader knows I am more than capable to handling this alone. You have never even shown the slightest interest in academic pursuits.” “He was probably worried you would get so caught up in that old book that you’d starve to death in this library.” “Halimar, you KNOW this work is important. Snoke said that the codex is the key to locating the Amulet of Thule and I need to focus so I can translate. If you’re so desperate, go find a food stall in the market and I’ll join you in a few hours.” Their argument was interrupted as two balls of light descended from the ceiling dancing around each other lazily. The lights separated, one going to Dregia and the other to Halimar, entering their bodies simultaneously. The knights nodded to each other and turned to leave. Just before she ascended the stairs Dregia reached out with the Force and called the codex to her. No point in leaving it there as no one other than Kylo, the Supreme Leader, and herself were capable of deciphering Ancient Sith.

Ellibra Ren furiously scribbled notes on a piece of flimsi as the riders lined their fathiers up for the next race. The Twi’lek leaned forward on the railing as the horn sounded and the race began. She was ostensibly in Canto Bight to gather intel on some of the First Order’s primary financiers, but it was too easy to use the Force to fix the races in her favour and Ellibra was never one to pass by the opportunity to make a quick credit or two. Surely the Supreme Leader knew this about her and would not have sent her to the luxurious casino if he had any objections to such behavior. Since her targets were all enjoying the races from their private boxes it was only logical to observe their behavior by watching the races from nearby. She was about to go and collect her rather substantial winnings when a small sphere of light landed on the end of her nose. As she went to bat it away it disappeared between her eyes and she knew it was time to go...well, maybe after one more race.

Angari dipped her finger into pool of water and watched as the ripples made their way across its surface. She hated field work. Instead of leaving her to ponder the mysteries of the Force in her nice, dry, comfortable meditation room Snoke had sent her to Dagobah. Dagobah! Sure, this swamp radiated with the Force stronger than anything she had ever encountered, but kriff the insects were vicious and the smell assaulted her senses, all while the humidity did unspeakable things to her hair. She was not cut out for this. She had tried to argue that she was a mystic of aristocratic lineage and not some kind of backwoods survivalist, but Snoke only sneered at her. In fact, he decided to halve the usual allotment of rations to ensure that she would have to either forage for food or go hungry. Angari was still not certain why she was even sent to this hellscape of a planet. Snoke had said that “her purpose would be made clear in time,” but she was coming to believe that this was nothing more than an amusing punishment for some unknown infraction. The Supreme Leader had made it abundantly clear that she had only been made a knight because she showed a moderate amount of Force sensitivity and he wanted a way to keep her wealthy and well connected family from stepping out of line. As she continued to lounge on the banks of the pond Angari felt something warm flutter against her cheek. At first she thought it was yet another insect out for her blood, but as she opened her eyes she instead felt the warmth move inside her and call to her. Maybe Snoke had been right after all, her purpose was now clear and she headed back to her ship on the opposite side of the swamp.

Once Kylo had called his knights he gently placed the orb back into its box and began the long process of waiting for them to arrive. Whatever ritual or battle lay ahead of them Kylo knew he needed to sleep, but doubted that the anomaly would allow him true rest. So instead, he returned to his pacing promising himself he would make time to properly meditate before his knights returned to him. Within a few hours the shuttles began to arrive and Kylo sent word for the Knights to be directed to the rooms that had been prepared for them. When the last ship, bearing Ellibra Ren, had landed Kylo quickly dressed in his robes and made his way to greet his knights.

Entering the large rooms reserved for guests aboard the Finalizer, Kylo warmly embraced Hallimar and Dregia having not seen seen them for over six months, and then made his way over to Devcha who was leaning a against a pillar and playfully smacked her on the back of her spiky head. Predani, Angari, and Ellibra were huddled together in a corner swapping stories and rose to greet Kylo as he approached. “I have missed you all greatly and I’m overjoyed that you have returned to me. I wish that we had not been parted all these long months as your council and affection would have been most welcome, but our former master saw to it that we were kept apart for his own purposes. I have called you here not only to rekindle the bond that Snoke sought to suppress, but to aid me in the banishment of a Force anomaly that has been plaguing me mercilessly since his death. It is my hope that together we can find a way to be rid of his foul presence once and for all.”

Devcha was the first to speak, “Master, what do you mean ‘since his death’?” Kylo looked at each of his knights in turn registering the confusion and concern written across their faces. “Did you not feel it when he died?” In response to their continued silence Kylo begins to recount everything that had occured leading to and in the wake of the destruction of Starkiller Base. While Kylo and Rey had both felt a massive surge of power as Snoke’s Force energy dispersed into the galaxy the Knights had felt nothing. Perhaps it was another side effect of Snoke’s tampering with the Knights’ Force bond. Whether this had any bearing on Kylo’s current situation with the anomaly was yet to be seen. 

As Kylo began describing the anomaly to the Knights, Dregia’s thoughts drifted back to the codex that she had taken from the library on Eriadu. She had been combing through the text translating bits and pieces of the ancient Sith looking for references to the amulet when a particular line had stuck out to her. What was it again...um, something about shadows that attached themselves to powerful Force users. Having completely forgotten the discussion happening around her, Dregia startled the group as the codex shot out of her bag from across the room and into her hand. “For kriff’s sake Dreg, what was that for?” huffed Halimar who had been sitting in the book’s path and was nearly hit in the head.

“I may have stumbled upon something important while translating in that library,” reliped Dregia making a face in Halimar’s direction. “There was something about shadows that kept drawing my eye, but I thought I was just getting tired and distracted. Now where was it….” “Here it is!” “So if what I’m translating is correct, then as Snoke’s Force energy began to dissipate he must have managed to create a partial projection of himself. It isn’t a true Force Shadow in that it doesn't possess his consciousness, but it has attached itself to Kylo and is slowly draining him of his Force energy. If we don’t stop it then it will torment him until he goes mad and eventually only his body will remain as an empty husk.”

Predani jumped and stamped her boot on the floor, “What purpose does that serve? The slimy bastard is dead. Is this shadow supposed to bring him back to life?” “No,” said Devcha gravely, “but Snoke was nothing if not spiteful and it wouldn’t surprise me if he sought to torture Kylo to death for betraying him even as he faded into the Force.” Angari’s voice shook as she spoke, emotion coloring her words. “Master, we won’t let that happen. Dreg, the book has to say something about stopping it, right?” Angari was the youngest of them and Kylo and the knights were the closest thing she had to siblings. Ellibra put a comforting arm around her and stroked her hair while addressing Kylo. “Master, do you think that Dregia is correct? Could Snoke have cursed you with this shadow even as he lay dying?” “He was immensely powerful with the Force, during his centuries of life it is possible that he discovered a way preserve a final piece of himself purely for the purpose of taking revenge if he were ever killed. Does the codex say anything about banishing the shadow?” Even as he spoke the anomaly pulsed painfully and menacingly in his periphery. “The text mentions a ritual, but doesn’t elaborate. I’ll need to do more research.” Dregia had already hopped up to begin digging through her bags. “Kylo, will you help me translate? This will take less time with two of us.” “Of course, I will assist you to the best of my ability, but the anomaly may interfere.The rest of you should sleep if you can or meditate if you are unable to sleep. We need to be ready for whatever this ritual entails. I will not have all of this taken from me by that wretched creature.”


End file.
